Hawaiian Islands weather details & Aloha paragraphs / September 13-14, 2010

Interesting: A toxin produced by a type of cyano-bacteria, also known as blue-green algae, has been devastating a colony of sea otters off the coast of California. In a paper published in the journal, PLoS ONE, by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and the University of California (UC), Santa Cruz, researchers link the deaths of over 21 California sea otters to toxic chemicals from algae flowing into the ocean.

Blue-green algae itself can be detrimental to the natural ecosystem because it can block light from reaching the depths of the water and starve the water of dissolved oxygen. Once the oxygen goes, no marine life can survive and you get "dead zones." Now, according to the researchers, one particular type of algae is also releasing a deadly toxin known as Microcystis.

Warm, nutrient-rich fresh water systems are ideal for large blooms of Microcystis. The toxic algae can resemble slimy green goo as it as it forms a thick green mat over the surface of the water. Eventually the fresh water flows into the ocean, carrying the algae with it. However, the toxin does not break down right away as it reaches the salt water. It can last well over three weeks without any serious degradation.

The Microcystis can cause acute liver failure, damage body tissue, and be fatal, as was witnessed with the sea otters. Melissa Miller, lead author of the study and senior wildlife veterinarian at the DFG, began recovering the dead otters along the shore of Monterey Bay in 2007. This sparked a wider search for the sources of the toxin.

The search lead the scientists to Pinto Lake in Watsonville, a lake with a history of Microcystis blooms. Pinto Lake drains into Corralitos Creek, then into the Pajaro River, one of three main rivers to empty into Monterey Bay. In the ocean, the Microcystis can be eaten or absorbed by creatures such as oysters, mussels, clams, and crabs, which are then consumed by sea otters. Deaths from this toxic bacteria have attributed to the overall decline of the California sea otter population.

According to co-author Tim Tinker, "These findings also show the value in closely monitoring sentinel species like sea otters as a way to detect and understand threats to coastal oceans." Humans can also be at risk from Microcystis poisoning if they eat shellfish harvested near the mouths of rivers, especially during or after periods of heavy rains. Commercially harvested shellfish, however, come from areas that are unlikely to be contaminated.

Pets can also be at risk from drinking the water at places like Pinto Lake, or from getting wet and then licking their fur. Another problem is that there are no state or federal regulations for exposure to the toxin. Even low levels of exposure can promote the development of liver cancer. No surveillance system exists for Microcystis detection in the United States, as well as most other countries. The authors of the study have received funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency to continue their research in order to make recommendations on how the algae blooms might be controlled or prevented.

Interesting2: Paris is a tourist destination of choice for many reasons. Thankfully, a convenient and extensive rail system allows one to navigate around the city to see and experience all those reasons—and it is especially useful if you happen to transit through Charles de Gaulle airport and have a long layover. The Paris Metro also gives rest to weary feet after walking around the Latin Quarter, the Marais, or wandering lost around La Défense for a business appointment.

Of course, like many public transport systems, summer, and even other times of the year, can generate some body heat—almost as much as the eponymous 1981 movie. And when a system like that of Paris Metro hauls 4.5 million people a day, those heat calories have got to go somewhere. Now a public housing project in the city’s center will benefit from all those commuters darting across Paris. Located on rue Beaubourg, close to the Rambuteau station, the building will draw heat from all those passengers, who on average generate about 100 watts of energy per ride.

Based on the principles of geothermal technology, heat will push from the station to heat exchangers, which will then flow through heating pipes. A request for proposal will be issued by the city government before the end of this year, and work will begin in 2011. Should the project progress as planned, 17 flats will receive heat from this method. The new system will also reduce carbon emissions by one-third through the replacement of a boiler currently used in the building.

Interesting3: Last week, more than 100 police officers raided restaurants in Da Lat City, Vietnam. What they found was unappetizing: illegally poached animals of nearly 20 species. The authorities arrested more than a dozen restaurant owners for planning to serve meals of pangolins, porcupines, mouse deer, monitor lizards, bears, snakes, and other rare animals—amounting to more than 850 pounds of meat.

Criminal prosecutions are in store for the wholesaler who was supplying the restaurants with the unlawful wildlife goods. A larger investigation is also underway to determine where the animals were captured and what trading networks were involved in transporting and selling them. "The detection and prosecution of restaurants illegally serving wildlife is a critical step in the battle for wildlife conservation in Vietnam," said Mr. Tran Thanh Binh, head of Lam Dong Forest Protection Department.

"The campaign today is our warning shot to illegal wildlife traders that Lam Dong province will not condone wildlife violators anymore." The raid that swept through Da Lat City and neighboring towns came after recent surveys revealed that 44 restaurants and 33 traditional Chinese medicine shops in the area were selling wildlife. The surveys are part of a campaign that WCS and its partners have developed to help curb the illegal wildlife trade.

"WCS commends the strong and decisive actions of Lam Dong province on tackling wildlife trade in Da Lat City and hopes these seizures will be followed up with investigations to identify and prosecute the illegal traders behind the restaurants," said Scott Roberton of WCS-Vietnam. "The future of wildlife in Vietnam hangs in the balance, but with more agencies showing a strong commitment like Lam Dong Forest Protection Department, things could change for the better very quickly."

Interesting4: A team of U.S. scientists and environmentalists met with Cuban officials this week to discuss a proposed alliance, including Mexico, to protect the Gulf of Mexico’s declining shark population. The meetings were a product of both improved U.S.-Cuba relations and concern that only a joint effort by the three nations that share the gulf can protect sharks, whose numbers are said to be down as much as 50 percent for some species.

"The Gulf of Mexico is one ecosystem, it’s not just the U.S. gulf. The shark is a highly migratory fish that moves between the countries and it is troubled," said Pamela Baker, gulf policy advisor for the New York-based Environmental Defense Fund, which is spearheading the effort along with the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida.